Sealing means



June 10, 1958 c. A. BREWER 2,838,200

SEALING MEANS Filed Sept. 5, 1952 IN V EN TOR.

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Unite 1;

MEANS Application September 5, 1952, Serial No. 308,042

2 Ciairns. (ill; 220-69) My invention relates tonew-and useful improvements in a sealing means for portable tanks and the like for gas, commonly referred to as bottled gas.

The principal objects of theinvention are directed to a novel means for'sealing thevalve-means of transport able tanks of so-called bottledgas.

According to novel features of the invention, means are provided for the sealing of the valve means of portable gas tanks when same are being transported from place to place or are being stored or are otherwise not in operationaluse.

Gas is shipped in portable'tanks which are equipped with shut off valves which, for operational purposes, are connected to the piping system of the user. Gas is likewise stored in storage tanks with similar valves. It is normally desired to supply the user withtanks which said user can feel assured are full tanks. That is to say, it has been the experience in the past that, upon receipt of a tank of gas, the user has often justifiably raised the question as to whether or not the tank so delivered-was a full tank. The shipper or seller, up to now, has had no way of proving to his customer that the'tank has been full upon delivery. By the novel means of my invention, such a situation is obviated by the delivery to the customer of a sealed tank or container of the fuel,

Further, under certain circumstances, it isoftentimes desired and necessary to seal off the tank at the place of'the user. That is, for a variety of reasons, it maybe desirable to disconnect the tank from the lead line of the user but, at the same time, to allow the tank to remain inplace for later reconnection.

Accordingly, the novel means of my invention makes it possible for the dealer to deliver a tank of gas with the outlet of the valve sealed whereby the user is more reasonably assured that he is receiving a full measured quantity of the fuel. in other casesfby means of the invention, it is possible, when desirable. and/ or necessary, to seal the valve of a tank which may be located at the place of the user, which tank cannot be tampered with so as to obtain unauthorized reconnection. in addition, means is provided by which it is possible to ascertain visually whether the sealing means has been tampered with.

One of the primary purposes of my invention is to provide structural and operational improvements in devices of the class to which reference has been made, which improvements not only simplify the structure as such, but also provide important distinct advantages in durability and the like, and further offer the advantage that unauthorized use of the device with which the invention is associated is prevented.

With the above primary objects in view, it is still another object of my invention to provide a construction of the above described character in which the number of operating parts is greatly reduced and which is. compact in accordance with the demands and desires of manufacturers and purchasers alike and which is not only dtates Patent.

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distinctive in its appearance and practical in its value but Other prime objects of my invention include: first,.the'

provision, of. an improved'ldevice of the class; described which maybe made more economically and with fewer operations in the manufacture of its parts,-.as' well as in, the assembly of the same, than priordevices.knownin.

the art; second, the provision: of a construction. which may be readily installed with respect to thervarious'purposes for which it is intended; ,andthird,.the provision. of suchcther improvements in and; relating to sealing; means of the type above referred to as: are. hereinafter:

described and claimed.

All of the above cited objects,,i accomplish by means of suchzstructure and relativearrangement of parts thereof, as will fully appear'by a perusal of the. descriptionv below and by various specific features-Which will be here inafter set forth.

To these above and; other ends and with the foregoing,

and various other and ancillary features and advantages and objects of my invention. as'willbecome morereadily' apparent as the descriptionproceeds,my inventionconsistsin certain novel features of construction, in a mode ofoperation; and in the combination, organization and, arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter; more particularly pointedout in the claimsxhereunto:annexed-and;

more fully described and referred tOil'll conjunction-with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is. a small scale elevational, view. ofra tankfor.

gas having the novel features of the invention, associated.

therewith;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of. the upper portion of the tank shown in. Fig. l with the. cap removed and a valve associated therewith including thenovelfeatures of the invention;

Fig. 3' is a sectional view through the outlet or" thevalve of Fig. 2 and having the -stop plug of the invention associated therewith;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of a tool for; the stopplug of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 3 showing a. modified form of stop plug;

Fig. 6 is an elevational view ofa toolfor the plug of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a modified form of stop plug; and

Fig. 8 is an elevational view ofa tool for the stop plug Referring now to the drawing more. indetail, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures, and referring more particularly to the preferred form of my invention selected. for illustrative purposes, I have shown a, tank represented by T for gas commonly called bottled gas which is ordinarily petroleum gas. A cap 2 is in threaded engagement with an upper neck portion 4 of the tank which surrounds a valve V.

The valve V may be of ordinary formand has an outlet 6 which is connected to the piping system of the consumer of the gas. This valve is opened and closed by rotation of a hand wheel 8 on the upper end of astem lit thereof.

According to novel features of the invention, means is provided for closing and sealing the outlet of the valve to prevent unauthorized discharge of gas at the place or installation of the tank as well as to safeguard against the accidental emission of gas during shipment and/or storage of the tank.

The valve V functions as a shut-off valve but is not adequate since it is easily tampered with. An externally threaded body 12 is provided for screwing into the internally threaded outlet of the valve V. The inner free end of the body 12 serves as a thread guide as the body is engaged with the valve outlet.

A stop plug 14 has an inner radially extending flange 16 which is held in an annular recess 18 of the body 12 by turning over the end 20 of the body. The parts are arranged for free relative turning of the body and plug.

The outlet 22 of the valve has a conical portion which converges outwardly as at 24 and a cone shaped portion 26 of the plug is arranged to firmly seat on the conical seat 24, it being pressed thereagainst by the body as it is screwed inwardly of the threaded outlet of the valve.

The body is provided with an axial bore 28 extending inwardly from the outer end thereof and this has an outer annular rim 30 therearound. A key receiving keyway 32 extends inwardly from the bore 28 and is disposed eccentrically relative to the longitudinal axis of said bore. The body and plug are. non-separable to provide a unitary device but are relatively rotatable for screwing the body into the threaded outlet of the valve to press the plug against the seat of the valve.

A tool 40, shown in Fig. 4, has a head 42 in which is slidable an elongated shank 44. A cylindrical hub extends from the head 42 for rotating in the bore 28 of the body and has a key 48 extending therefrom and which is eccentrically disposed as to be receivable in the keyway 32 of the body. 1

With the hub 46 in the bore of the body andthe key 48 in the keyway 32, since the said keyway and key are disposed eccentrically relative to the hub and bore 28, the body is screwed into the outlet of the valve so that it acts on the plug and presses it firmly into seating engagement with the conical surface of the valve outlet.

The novel arrangement of the socket and keyway and of the hub and key of the tool obviate the possibility of the body and plug being removed by ordinary tools. The annular rim 30 of the body is intentionally'made relatively thin. Said body 12 is formed from some of the softer metals such as brass, bronze or the like so that engagement of the rim 30 to remove the body from the valve outlet will result in the rupture of the rim and make it impossible to remove the body from the valve.

The rim 30 of the body is provided with one or more openings 50 so that, as shown in Fig. 2, a wire 52 may extend through one or more of said openings and around the valve and opposite ends joined by a seal 54. Such means will, if broken, visably indicate that the device has been tampered with.

According to the modification of the invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6, a body similar to the body 12 has a longitudinal bore 62 and longitudinal keyways 64 around the periphery at the inner end thereof. This body as with body 12 has a seating portion 66, annular rim 68 and openings 70 therein. inwardly of the outer threads on the body 60, an annular thread guide portion is provided.

The seating portion 66 will be observed to be provided with a curved surface so as to offer a line contact for sea!- ing more effectively and to aid in the provision of an unrestricted 'or floating member which is self seating under screw pressure. Similarly, in the other modifica tions of said invention as disclosed herein, the valve may, if desired, be provided with a similar line contact for the seating of the valve on its seat.

A tool 72 having a shank 74 is provided with longitu- 4 dinal keys 76 which are receivable in the keyways 64 of the body.

In Fig. 7, a body 89 has a bore 82 provided with an elongated keyway 84 at a side thereof and, as in the former modifications, it has the conical seating portion 86 and the thin annular rim 88 provided with openings )0. Inwardly of the outer threads of body 80, an annular thread guide portion is provided.

A tool 92 for this form of the invention has a shank 94 provided with a hub 96 for insertion in the bore 82 of the body and a key 98 which is receivable in the keyway 84 of the body.

The body, as it is screwed into the valve outlet, acts on the sealing plug to force it into sealing engagement with the seat of the valve outlet. It will be observed that, in all modifications of the invention, the body is so formed that a special tool is required to secure the body and plug in the valve and consequently they may not be removed by any ordinary means.

The rim of the body which is provided with openings for sealing means is sufliciently fragile as to be ruptured when a tool is applied thereto so as to obviate removal of the body from the valve outlet.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications and variations as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appended claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A two-part unitary device for closing and sealing a valve provided with an outlet bore having an outer internally threaded portion and a portion extending inwardly therefrom having converging sides comprising in combination, an outer and inner body and plug, said plug being solid and having inwardly converging outer sides for sealing contact with the inner portion of the outlet bore of the valve and being provided on its outer end portion with an annular flange extending outwardly therearound, said body at its outer end portion being provided with external threads for engaging the threaded portion of the valve boreand a recess on the inner end thereof receiving the flange of the plug and a continuous annular rim portion disposed adjacent the 'rear side of the flange and adjacent sides of said plug, the recess and rim of said body and the flange of said plug being relatively arranged to hold said body and plug in general coaxial relationship against axial separation and permitting relative rotation of said body and plug and slight relative tilting thereof whereby by screwing said body into the valve bore said plug may be pressed and sealed against the inner portion of the bore, said body being provided with a guide bore extending inwardly from the outer end thereof having a key portion at the inner end of said guide bore, and a key receivable in the guide bore provided with means engageable with the key portion of the bore whereby said body may be rotated by said key.

2. A two-part unitary device for closing and sealing the outlet bore of a valve having an outer internally threaded portion and a portion extending inwardly therefrom having converging sides comprising in combination, an outer and inner body and plug, said plug being solid and having inwardly converging sides for sealing contact with the inner portion of the outlet bore of the valve and being provided on its outer end portion with an annular flange extending outwardly therearound, said body at its outer end portion being provided with external threads for engaging the threaded portion of the valve bore and having a recess on the inner end thereof receiving the flange of the plug and a continuous annular rim portion disposed adjacent the rear side of the flange and an adjacent side of the plug, said recess and rim of the body and the flange of the plug being relatively arranged to hold the body and plug in general coaxial relationship against axial separation and permitting relative rotation of the body and plug and slight relative tilting thereof whereby by screwing the body into the valve bore the plug may be pressed and sealed against the converging inner portion of said bore, said body provided with a guide bore extending inwardly from the outer end thereof having a key portion at the inner end of the guide bore, and a keyinsertable in the guide bore provided with means engageable with the key portion of said bore whereby said body may be rotated by said key, said body at its outer end provided with a relatively thin rupturable rim extending outwardly of and around said guide bore provided with openings through opposite side thereof for the passage of 6 an implement to lie across the entrance to said guide bore.

References (Zited in the file of this patent UNiTED STATES PATENTS 128,742 Marriott et a1 July 9, 1872 293,355 Rappold Feb. 12,1884 533,181 Schopf Jan. 29, 1895 795,027 Connell July 18, 1905 1,033,149 Bray July 23, 1912 1,041,123 Lord Oct. 15, 1912 1,060,913 Lawrence May 6, 1913 1,171,706 Crabtree Feb. 15, 1916 1,223,327 Marsh Apr. 17, 1917 1,327,587 Bliss Jan. 6, 1920 1,451,025, Kraft Apr. 10, 1923 2,179,045 Lewis' Nov. 7, 1939 2,190,495 Wackrnan Feb. 13, 1940 

